Palencia Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral Basilica of Saint Antoninus
Catedral-Basílica de San Antolín
South Façade
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
Year consecrated	1897
Location
Location	Palencia, Spain
Architecture
Architectural type	church
Architectural style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	1321
Completed	1516
Specifications
Direction of façade	south
Elevation	42 m (138 ft)
Website
catedraldepalencia.org

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Antoninus (which in Spanish is Catedral-Basílica de San Antolín) is a large Roman Catholic church found in Palencia, Spain. It is named after Saint Antoninus of Pamiers. This amazing building is a true treasure of history and art.

A Look at Its History
Gallery
See also

A Look at Its History

Building the Cathedral

The main part of the cathedral was built between 1172 and 1504. It stands over a much older Visigothic crypt. A crypt is an underground room, often used for burials. This crypt is called the Crypt of San Antolín.

In front of the older Romanesque temple, there's an even older Visigothic chapel. It was built around the mid-7th century. This chapel was made during the time of King Wamba. Its purpose was to keep the remains of Saint Antoninus of Pamiers safe. Saint Antoninus was a nobleman from Gaul (modern-day France). King Wamba brought his remains to Spain in 672 or 673. These ancient parts are the only pieces left of the original Visigothic cathedral in Palencia.

Size and Grandeur

This cathedral is truly massive! It is more than 130 meters (about 426 feet) long. The central part is 42 meters (about 138 feet) high and 50 meters (about 164 feet) wide. This makes it one of the largest cathedrals in both Spain and Europe.

To give you an idea, the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has a central nave (the main part of the church) that is 33 meters high. The Cathedral of Reims is 38 meters high. The Palencia Cathedral is very tall, reaching 42 meters.

The "Unknown Beauty"

From the outside, the cathedral looks strong and simple. Its exterior does not show how grand and beautiful it is inside. This is why it is often called "the unknown beauty." It is not as famous as some other Spanish cathedrals. However, it is a very valuable building.

Inside, you will find more than twenty chapels. These chapels hold many important artworks and have a rich history. The most noticeable part from the outside is its tower. The tower stands 55 meters (about 180 feet) tall. It looks solid and a bit rough, in the typical Gothic style.

Recent studies and digs have shown something interesting about the tower. It was first built as a military tower! After it stopped being used for defense, decorations like pinnacles were added.

Artistic Treasures Inside

The Cathedral of Saint Antoninus is a large Gothic building. It holds many works of art that are very valuable. One famous painting is The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. This painting was created by the famous artist El Greco between 1576 and 1579.

Another amazing piece is a retablo (an altarpiece). This retablo has twelve panels. It was painted by Juan de Flandes. He was a court painter for Queen Isabella I of Castile, a very important queen in Spanish history.